April 11, 2013
Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov
Amber Philman
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
amber.n.philman@nasa.gov
RELEASE: M13-061
NASA INVITES MEDIA TO VIEW ORION, SPEAK WITH KENNEDY SPACE CENTER DIRECTOR
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA is offering media representatives at the
Kennedy Space Center in Florida an opportunity on Monday, April 15,
to see Orion, the spacecraft that could take astronauts on a sample
collection mission to an asteroid as early as 2021.
The event, marking three years since President Obama set a goal of
sending humans to an asteroid, will begin at noon EDT with a photo
and interview availability with Robert Cabana, Kennedy's center
director.
Media should arrive at Kennedy's Press Site by 11:30 a.m. for
transportation to the Operations and Checkout Building. . Other
speakers include Dan Dumbacher, deputy associate administrator for
Exploration Systems Development, Mark Geyer, Orion Program manager,
and Keith Hefner, Space Launch System Program planning and control
manager.
Cabana, Geyer and Hefner will discuss progress made on final assembly
and integration of Orion for its uncrewed Exploration Flight Test-1
in 2014. Before Orion's launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Fla., the production team will apply heat-shielding thermal
protection systems, avionics and other hardware to the spacecraft.
During the test, Orion will travel 3,600 miles from Earth, farther
than any crewed spacecraft has gone in more than 40 years. The main
objective is to test Orion's heat shield at the high speeds generated
during a return from deep space.
Media without NASA Kennedy accreditation must apply for credentials by
4 p.m. Friday, April 12. International media accreditation for this
event is closed. Badges for this event may be picked up at the
Kennedy's badging office on State Road 405. The credential
application is located online at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), a heavy-lift launch vehicle that
will provide new capability for human exploration beyond low-Earth
orbit, will boost Orion off the planet on a flight test in 2017. SLS
is designed to be flexible for launching spacecraft for crew and
cargo missions. It will expand human presence and enable new missions
of exploration into the solar system.
NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston manages the Orion Program.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the
SLS Program. Kennedy manages the Ground Systems Development and
Operations Program, which is preparing to process and launch the new
vehicles and spacecraft designed to achieve NASA's goals for space
exploration.
For more information about the Orion program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/orion
For more information on the Space Launch System, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/sls
For more information about the Ground Systems Development and
Operations program, visit:
http://go.nasa.gov/groundsystems
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